Optical fiber sensor

ABSTRACT

An input of an optical interferometer is a periodical optical pulse. A phase of a first half and a latter half of a reference pulse is a 90 degree (independently orthogonal) phase difference. Two interferometric outputs i 1  and i 2 , where the phase difference is 90 degrees from each other, are obtained by interference of the reference pulse and the signal pulse. θ is calculated by referring the amplitude of reference pulse and the signal pulse to remove the light intensity fluctuations. Two values of cos θ1 and cos θ2 are calculated and positions are determined on the cosine curve by obtaining θ1 and θ2 values. Δθ1 and Δθ2, which are the phase increment or decrement of both θ1 and θ2 in a T period, are summed and becomes the sensor output signal that removes the measurement range limitation of ± 90  degrees (a half wavelength of light) of the light phase.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an optical fiber sensor utilizing a distinctive character that a phase of an optical signal passing through an optical path is changed by making an optical path length be changed by an external force.

BACKGROUND ART

An optical fiber sensor shows good insusceptibility for strong electromagnetic field and an extremely high or low temperature environment, comparing with the ones comprised of electric and/or electronic components. Moreover the low transmission loss of the optical fiber cable enables long distance sensing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention

In conventional homodyne interferometer systems, if a phase difference between a is θ, an interferometer output (I) is represented by the following formula:

I=R+S+2√(R·S) cos θ

(I, R and S are the laser power values.)

θ=arccosine((I−R−S)/2√(R·S))

In conventional interferometer system, a sensor output signal is affected by fluctuation of a laser signal generator output level in accordance with the temperature drift and also a loss variation in an optical fiber transmission path. This makes ineligible errors in the measured result. Because the output value is calculated in the condition that the reference light (R) and the signal light (S) intensities are constant.

Further, the conventional homodyne interferometer system is able to detect the phase difference of a half of light wavelength between a signal light and a reference light.

However, it is almost impossible to keep the phase difference between them into this narrow range, because all the components do not have such excellent dimension accuracy in order to keep the phase difference into the narrow range. Moreover it is impossible to eliminate the optical path fluctuation by the influence of temperature variation in environmental circumstances.

In addition to the above, there is fundamental disadvantage in conventional homodyne interferometer system, i.e., the detection range is limited in a half of light wavelength (±90° of light phase) and it is impossible to extend this measurement range.

The present invention has been developed for solving the above problems, and realizes the optical fiber sensor which is free from the residual errors caused by the light intensity fluctuations and removes the measurement range limitation of ±90° (a half wavelength of light) of light phase.

Means for Solving the Problems

The above object of the present invention is achieved by providing a wavelength stabilized laser source, by which a laser pulse having a period T and a pulse width 3 t (t1, t2 and t3) is generated, and is phase modulated to be t1 phase is equal to t2 and to be 90 degree (independently orthogonal) phase difference between t2 and t3. Hereinafter the phase of t1 is φ1, the phase of t2 φ2 and that of t3 φ3.

Further, the purpose of the present invention is achieved by constructing an original optical interferometer. In the present invention, the above mentioned laser pulse is first divided into two (2) by an optical coupler, one of which is applied to a t/2 optical delay line and then is supplied to a motion sensor. The motion sensor has a weight on which laser pulse reflecting mirrors are stationed at both sides, and the weight moves according to the externally applied force, thus the sensor changes the optical path length with applied force. The reflected laser pulse is again applied to the t/2 optical delay line. Assume that the phase of reflected laser pulse at the t/2 delay line as φ1 a, θ2 a and θ3 a.

As the same the other divided laser pulse by the optical coupler is applied to the other side of mirror on the motion sensor without time delay, and assume the reflected laser pulse as θ1 b, θ2 b and θ3 b.

The two reflected laser pulses are combined again by the optical coupler and forms a Michelson Interferometer. At the output of the Michelson Interferometer five (5) different optical pulse signals are obtained, i.e., no optical signal region (Z), φ1 b region (R), interferometric region between φ2 b and φ1 a (I1), interferometric region between φ3 b and φ2 a (I2) and φ3 a region (S). These signals Z, R, I1, I2 and S form a Time Division Multiplex (TDM) optical signal.

The TDM optical signal is transformed into an electric signal by Optic to Electricity Converter (O/E) and the components of the TDM, i.e., z, r, I1, I2 and s are obtained as the electrical derivation of the optical signals of Z, R, I1, 12 and S. The value z is utilized to obtain the precise value of i1, i2, r and s by cancelling out the residual voltage appears at the output of O/E converter in the period of no optical signal (no optical pulse).

The Michelson Interferometer output is able to be calculated by the following formula.

i1=r+s+2r(r·s)cos θ1

i2=r+s+2r(r·s)cos θ2

where θ is the angle between the two laser signals coming out from the motion sensor.

The values cos θ1 and cos θ2 are led by transforming the above formula.

cos θ1=(i1−r−s)/2√(r·s)

θ1=arccosine ((i1−r−s)/2√(r·s))

cos θ2=(i2−r−s)/2√(r·s)

θ2=arccosine((i2−r−s)/2√(r·s))

As the calculation inaccuracy of arccosine function is increased in proportion to cosine value, smaller cosine value is selected between cos θ1 and θ2 and angle θ of the selected cosine value is treated as measured datum θ. Then Δθ, which is the increment or decrement of θ in T period, is derived from present θ and the value period T before and arithmetic summation of Δθ is sent out as the sensor output signal.

Effects of the invention

The laser signal level fluctuates with various factors, e.g., environmental temperature drift, atmospheric pressure change and so forth and their electrical representation of r i1, i2, and s also fluctuate. However, the influence of such drifts are removed in the process of calculating cos θ1 and cos θ2, because inaccuracy in cos θ1 and cos θ2 is removed, as the calculation formula is so constructed to remove the inaccuracy by the calibration process in the formula with using instant measured values of r, s and i and the final measured datum includes very small measurement error caused from laser level drift, the optical fiber loss fluctuation or optical coupler loss change expected at an aversely severe circumstance. This contributes to reduce the system manufacturing cost as it admits the use of inexpensive components.

According to the present invention, cos θ1 and cos θ2 are obtained, which are orthogonal in phase each other, with the interferometric phenomenon between signal light and reference light. By this condition that cos θ1 and cos θ2 are 90 degree shifted in each other, one of two measured values always lies within ±1/T2 where good calculation accuracy from cosine to arccosine transformation is guaranteed. If the transformed value from the smaller cos θ is selected, the value is always smaller than ±1/T2 and satisfactory measurement accuracy is assured. Moreover, this does not require precise control of phase between cos θ1 and cos θ2, and delete the precision dimension in component manufacturing.

The present invention, new interferometer provides the measurement range of multiple wavelength, because direction of phase movement in T period, i.e., Δθ is increased or decreased, is able to comprehend by the values and phase of cos θ1 and cos θ2 in consideration. (where in the condition that cos θ1 and cos θ2 are orthogonal.)

Furthermore, the measurement dynamic range is able to be extended largely by shortening the measurement period T, i.e., higher sampling frequency larger dynamic range, because the sensor output is the summation of Δθ and the number of Δθ per second is the proportion of the sampling frequency.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of constitution of the optical fiber sensor according to the present invention, and

FIG. 2 is a time chart showing an example of optical fiber sensor operation according to the present invention.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is the example of fabricating the optical fiber sensor of the present invention, where 1 is a laser pulse generator, 2 an optical sensor and 3 an arithmetic processor.

First, a laser pulse of 3 t width in every T period is generated in the laser pulse generator 1, with which the light phase of front 2 t portion is set to 0 degree (°) and last It portion 90 degree (°) in each other. The laser pulse is divided into two (2) by the optical coupler and one of which is applied to an optical sensor 2 through a t/2 optical delay line. The other half of laser pulse is applied to the other input of the optical sensor 2. Both laser pulse phases are shifted in proportion to the external force applied to the optical sensor.

The reflected laser pulses, one through t/2 optical delay line and the other directly, are combined by the optical coupler and the overall optical circuit forms a Michelson interferometer. The interferometer output laser pulse, i.e., the output optical pulse from the optical coupler is applied to the arithmetic processor 3 through the optical directional coupler in the laser pulse generator 1. The arithmetic processor 3 detects the optical pulse amplitude and calculates cos θ1 and cos θ2, then transforms cos θ1 and cos θ2 into θ1 and θ2 and further obtains θs as the arithmetic processor 3 final output.

The output optical pulse of the optical sensor 2 is the Time Division Multiplex (TDM) signal. The TDM signal shows a series of amplitude data, i.e., Z, R, I1, I2 and S, which represent no optical signal region (Z), φ1 b region (R), interferometric region between φ2 b and φ1 a (I1), interferometric region between φ3 b and φ2 a (I2) and φ3 a region (S). In the arithmetic processor 3, z, r, i1, i2 and s are obtained as the electrical derivation of the optical signals of Z, R, I1, 12 and S, and further cos θ1 and cos θ2 are calculated.

Next, the operation theory of the optical fiber sensor shown in FIG. 1 is explained by referring a time chart of the optical fiber sensor FIG. 2. The structure of the optical fiber sensor is first described in detail. The sensor is comprised of three parts, i.e., a laser pulse generator 1, an optical sensor 2 and an arithmetic processor 3.

In the laser pulse generator 1, a laser signal generated by a wavelength stabilized laser generator 11 is amplitude modulated by an intensity modulator 13 with a driving pulse signal “a” from a pulse generator 12, whose driving pulse makes the intensity modulator “on” and “off”, and makes a laser pulse “b” of 3 t width in every T duration. The laser pulse “b” is further phase modulated by an optical phase modulator 14, with which the first part of laser pulse t1 and middle part of it t2 phases are set to zero (0) degree and the last part of it t3 is set to 90 degree (π/2) by the driving signal “c”, so that both t1, t2 and t3 is 90 degree different in relative phase. (Both t1, t2 and t3 relative phase is orthogonal in each other.)

The output laser pulse “d” from the optical phase modulator 14 is sent to the optical sensor 2 through an optical directional coupler 15 as “e1”. Consequently, the laser pulse generator 1 sends out the laser pulse of 3 t length (the first part t1, the second part t2 and the third part t3), whose light phase is φ1 at t1, φ2 at t2 and φ3 at t3. The phase relation is

φ1=φ2, 100 2 is orthogonal to φ3.

The laser pulse of 3 t width from laser pulse generator 1 is applied to an optical coupler 21 in the optical sensor 2 as “e2”. One of the divided laser signal “f1” by the optical coupler 21 is led to a t/2 optical delay line 22 and then to a collimator 23, which transmit the laser signal to a mirror 24 as named “f2”. The collimator is used as the beam parallelizing apparatus to send the laser signal to the mirror and receive the laser signal reflected by the mirror in a good condition.

The mirror 24 makes the phase change according to the moving distance of mirror by an externally applied force “+j” and the laser pulse signal is returned back to the optical coupler 21 as “f3” , whose 3 t component phases are named as φ1 a, φ2 a and φ3 a. The other one of the divided laser signal “f1” by the optical coupler 21 is led to an another collimator 25 and then transmitted into air so that the transmitted laser signal “g2” is reflected by an another mirror 26. The reflected laser signal from the mirror 26 is supplied to the optical coupler 21 through the collimator 25 as “g3”, whose 3t component phases are named as φ1 b, φ2 b and φ3 b. The mirror 26 receives the external force “j”, opposite from the mirror 25, as the mirrors 24 and 26 are installed on one (1) moving weight back to back.

The reflected laser pulse signals “f3” and “g3” are combined in the optical coupler 21 and forms a Time Division Multiplex (TDM) laser signal “h1”. The laser signal “f3” from the mirror 24 has the delay time of t compared with the reflected laser signal “g3” , because “f3” passing through the t/2 delay line twice. In conclusion, the TDM signal “h1” has five (5) part of amplitude data, i.e., Z, R, I1, I2 and S, which represent no optical signal region (Z), φ1 b region (R), interferometric region between φ2 b and φ1 a (I1), interferometric region between φ3 b and φ2 a (I2) and φ3 a region (5).

The TDM signal “h1” is applied back to the optical directional coupler 15. The optical directional coupler 15 makes the routing of the TDM signal “h1” to an O/E converter 301 in the arithmetic processor 3. The O/E converter 301 transforms the laser pulse signal into an electric signal and the resulted TDM electric signal as “h3”, i.e., z, r, i1, i2 and s are obtained as the electrical derivation of the optical signals of Z, R, I1, I2 and S. The electric signals z, r, i1, i2 and s are supplied to A/D converters 312, 313, 314, 315 and 316 through analog switches 302, 303, 304, 305 and 306 and further through low pass filters 307, 308, 309, 310, 311 and 312. The analog switches distribute the electric signals to the designated low pass filters and the low pass filters cut the high frequency components contained in the electric signals and provide necessary frequency band limitation.

The A/D converters 312, 313, 314, 315 and 316 put z, r, i1, i2 and s into digital values and resulted digital data are applied to a cosine processor 317, which makes the calculation necessary to obtain cosine values. In the cosine processor 317, first r, i1, i2 and s voltages are calibrated by the value of z in order to remove the uncertainty of measured voltage. Then, the processor 317 calculates the values cos θ1 and cos θ2 from r, i1, i2 and s. The calculated values of cos θ1 and cos θ2 from the processor unit 317 are further transmitted to a Δθ processor 318. In the Δθ processor 318 first θ1 and θ2 are calculated from cos θ1 and cos θ2 and then Δθ1 and Δθ2, which are the finite difference of θ1 and θ2 in a period of time T. The values Δθ1 and Δθ2 are transferred to the next processor, a Σθ processor 319, an appropriate one is selected from Δθ1 and Δθ2 and the selected one's value is added to θs in each T period. The value θs is the final optical fiber sensor output.

In the present invention, the calculations of cos θ1 and cos θ2 are done by the Formula 1 and Formula 2 as follow

cos θ1=(i1−r−s)/2√(r·s)   Formula 1

cos θ2=(i2−r−s)/2√(r·s)   Formula 2

In this formula r represents φ1 b of g3, s φ3 a of f3, i1 interferometric output between φ2 b of g3 and φ1 a, i2 interferometric output between φ3 b of g3 and φ2 a. Moreover, as the laser signals φ2 b and φ3 b are orthogonal in each other, the angle difference between θ1 and θ2 is 90 degree (°). The Δθ processor 318 makes calculations and procedures listed in (1) to (7) below.

-   (1) Identify the smaller one in the absolute value from cos θ1 and     cos θ2. -   (2) Distinguish the polarities of cos θ1 and cos θ2. -   (3) The values of cos θ1 and cos θ2, and the conditions of (1) and     (2), decide the θ point on the cosine curve. -   (4) Calculate θ1 and θ2 from the result of (3) -   (5) Name obtained θ1 and θ2 as θ1 a and θ2 a -   (6) Calculate the difference Δθ

Δθ1=θ1−θ1 a

Δθ2=θ2−θ2 a

where Δθ is the difference between θ1 of the previous datum and the new datum (θ1 a or θ2 a).

-   (7) Select the smaller absolute value of Δθ from Δθ1 and Δθ2. Send     out selected Δθ to the Σθ processor 319.

The selected Δθ is added to the θs in the Σθ processor 319 and the θs is the optical fiber sensor output signal. There is an important assumption that the instant phase change of sensed laser signals f3 and g3 shall not exceed ±π/2 in a sample period of T.

Operation and Effects

According to the present invention, cos θ1 and cos θ2 can be correctly positioned on a cosine curve if Δθ, which is the increment or decrement of θ in T period, is within 90 degree. Further, as precise phase change can be measured, if the increment or decrement of θ in T period is kept within 90 degree, the present invention can extend the dynamic range by increasing the integration number and overcomes the limit of ±90 degree, which the conventional method cannot.

The present invention is made the case that the example of the phase difference of reference light is independently orthogonal. The same effect can be obtained if the phase difference of signal light is independently orthogonal. Also, the discussion until now is made the case that the phase difference of the reference light is ±90 degree, but the same effect can also be obtained by the phase difference is fixed to approximately ±90 degree.

Moreover, the discussion until now is the delay time of the optical fiber is t/2, but the same effect can be achieved by around t/2. In the example of optical sensor 2, two mirrors are used to increase the sensor sensitivity. However, the system can be modified so as to use one (1) mirror.

The aforementioned embodiment, the construction of the interferometer of the sensor section is explained with the Michelson interferometer system, but the similar operation is possible using the Mach-Zehnder interferometer system.

Industrial Applicability

The present invention is applied for the sensor system which is installed at the remote location, the strong electromagnetic field, extremely high and low temperature environment and the area which cannot have power supply.

Explanation of Letters or Numerals

1 laser pulse generator

2 optical sensor

3 arithmetic processor

11 wavelength stabilized laser generator

12 pulse generator

13 intensity modulator

14 optical phase modulator

15 optical directional coupler

21 optical coupler

22 optical delay line

23,25 collimator

24,26 mirror

301 O/E converter

302-306 analog switch

307-311 low pass filter

312-316 A/D converter

317 cosine processor

318 Δθ processor

319 Σθ processor 

1. An optical fiber sensor, comprises: a signal light generator for making a laser pulse whose period is T and pulse length is 3 t (t1, t2 and t3), wherein t1 phase is equal to t2 and phase difference is ±90 degree (independently orthogonal) between t2 and t3; a sensor outputting Time Division Multiplex (TDM) optical signals (R, I1, I2 and S), wherein said laser pulse is first divided into two (2) by an optical coupler, one of which is applied as signal pulse to a t optical delay line and then is supplied to a motion sensor externally applied force, another of which is applied as reference signal, two reflected laser pulses are combined by said optical coupler and forms interferometer, and obtain four (4) different optical pulse signals, i.e., t1 region of reference pulse (R), interferometric region between t1 region of signal pulse and t2 region of reference pulse (I1), interferometric region between t2 region of signal pulse and t3 region of reference pulse (I2), and t3 region of signal pulse (S); and an arithmetic processing wherein said TDM optical signal (R, I1, I2 and S) is transformed into an electric signal, and r, i1, i2 and s are individually obtained as an electrical derivation, values cos θ1 and cos θ2 are calculated by a following formula: cos θ1=(i1−r−s)/2√(r·s) from interferometric pulse i1, and cos θ2=(i2−r−s)/2√(r·s) from interferometric pulse i2, where θ is an angle between said signal pulse and reference pulse, and smaller cosine value is selected between cos θ1 and cos θ2 and angle θ of a selected cosine value is treated as measured datum θ, then Δθ, which is an increment or decrement of θ in T period, is derived from present θ and said value period T before and arithmetic summation of Δθ is sent out as a sensor output signal. 